Cedar vs. Pressure-Treated vs. Pine: Which Wood Is Best for Outdoor Furniture?
Before you spend hundreds of dollars on lumber, it's worth spending a few minutes making sure you're buying the right wood. If you're comparing cedar, pressure-treated lumber, and pine before heading to the lumber yard, you're already making a smart building decision.
One of the biggest mistakes first-time builders make is assuming that all outdoor lumber performs about the same. It doesn't. The wood you choose affects how your project looks, how long it lasts, how much maintenance it needs, and even how enjoyable it is to build.
The good news is that there isn't one "perfect" wood for every outdoor project. Cedar, pressure-treated lumber, and pine all have their strengths. The trick is matching the wood to the project instead of trying to make one species do everything.
Over the years, I've built Adirondack chairs, rocking chairs, garden benches, picnic tables, roadside garbage boxes, parcel drop boxes, planter boxes, and heavy-duty IBC tote stands. One thing those projects have taught me is that the best lumber isn't always the most expensive—it's the lumber that's best suited for the job.
In this guide, I'll compare cedar, pressure-treated lumber, and pine, explain where each one performs best, and share which wood I choose for many of the outdoor projects I build. My goal is simple: to help you buy the right lumber the first time so you can spend more time building and less time wishing you had chosen differently.
Why Choosing the Right Wood Matters
Many DIY builders spend days—or even weeks—choosing a project, then make a quick decision at the lumber yard based on price or what's easiest to load into the truck.
Unfortunately, that's often where problems begin.
Choosing the wrong lumber can lead to:
- A project that requires far more maintenance than expected.
- Furniture that twists, checks, or deteriorates sooner than it should.
- Spending premium money where a less expensive wood would have worked just as well.
- Rebuilding a project years sooner than necessary.
The goal isn't to buy the most expensive wood. It's to buy the wood that best matches what you're building.
Think about it this way. A roadside garbage box sits outside every day of the year, exposed to rain, snow, road salt, birds, and hungry animals. A garden bench may spend most of its life on a sheltered deck where appearance is just as important as durability. Although both are outdoor projects, they place very different demands on the lumber.
That's why experienced builders don't automatically reach for the same wood every time. They match the material to the project.
Taking a few minutes to understand the differences before buying your materials can save money, reduce maintenance, and help ensure you're still enjoying your project many years from now.
Understanding the Three Most Popular Outdoor Woods
Cedar, pressure-treated lumber, and pine are all commonly used for outdoor projects, but they perform very differently once they're exposed to the weather.
Some naturally resist rot and insects. Others are chemically treated to withstand years of outdoor exposure. Some are lightweight and beautiful, while others are heavier but better suited to demanding conditions.
Understanding these differences before you buy your materials will make choosing the right lumber much easier.
Cedar
Cedar has earned its reputation as one of the best woods for outdoor furniture because it naturally resists rot, moisture, and many insects. Unlike pressure-treated lumber, cedar doesn't rely on chemical preservatives. Instead, it contains naturally occurring compounds that help protect the wood from decay, making it an excellent choice for projects where appearance and longevity both matter.
Another reason builders like cedar is that it's lightweight, stable, and easy to work with. It machines well using ordinary woodworking tools and has a rich colour and grain that many people choose to leave natural. Over time, unfinished cedar gradually weathers to the familiar silver-grey colour seen on many older outdoor projects.
Advantages
- Naturally resistant to rot and decay
- Naturally discourages many wood-damaging insects
- Lightweight and easy to handle
- Attractive grain and colour
- Easy to cut, shape, and sand
- Requires relatively little maintenance compared with many other woods
Considerations
- Higher initial cost than pressure-treated lumber or pine
- Softer surface that can dent or scratch more easily
- Not always the most economical choice for heavy-duty utility projects
If your goal is to build outdoor furniture that looks as good as it performs, cedar is one of the best materials available.
Pressure-Treated Lumber
Pressure-treated lumber is often overlooked for outdoor furniture because people remember the older treated lumber from years ago. Modern pressure-treated lumber has improved considerably and remains one of the most practical materials for outdoor projects that must withstand years of exposure to the weather.
Rather than relying on naturally occurring compounds like cedar, pressure-treated lumber is infused with preservatives under pressure. These preservatives help protect the wood from rot, insects, and moisture, making it an excellent choice for projects that spend their entire lives outdoors.
Although it doesn't have cedar's natural beauty, pressure-treated lumber offers excellent durability at a much lower cost.
Advantages
- Excellent resistance to rot and insects
- Lower cost than cedar
- Strong and durable
- Widely available
- Ideal for utility projects and structures exposed to the weather year-round
Considerations
- Heavier to work with
- Often wetter when purchased, which means it can shrink or crack as it dries
- Usually requires staining or painting if appearance is important
For projects where durability matters more than appearance, pressure-treated lumber is often difficult to beat.
Pine
Pine is one of the most common building materials found in lumber yards and is often the first choice for beginner woodworkers because it's affordable, easy to cut, and readily available.
It also machines beautifully and accepts paint and stain well.
The drawback is that untreated pine has very little natural resistance to moisture or decay. Unless it's well protected from the weather or maintained regularly, it generally won't last as long outdoors as cedar or pressure-treated lumber.
Advantages
- Lowest purchase cost
- Easy to machine using basic woodworking tools
- Lightweight
- Excellent for painting
- Readily available almost everywhere
Considerations
- Poor natural resistance to rot
- Requires regular maintenance outdoors
- Best suited to covered outdoor areas or indoor projects
Pine certainly has its place, but for projects that will spend years exposed to the weather, I usually recommend looking at cedar or pressure-treated lumber instead.
Cedar vs. Pressure-Treated vs. Pine: At a Glance
| Feature | Cedar | Pressure-Treated | Pine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | High | Moderate | Low |
| Natural Rot Resistance | Excellent | Excellent (treated) | Poor |
| Insect Resistance | Excellent | Excellent | Fair |
| Appearance | Excellent | Good | Good |
| Weight | Light | Heavy | Medium |
| Ease of Building | Excellent | Good | Excellent |
| Maintenance | Low | Medium | High |
| Expected Outdoor Life | Excellent | Excellent | Fair |
| Best For | Outdoor furniture | Utility projects, structural outdoor projects | Covered outdoor projects and indoor furniture |
Which Wood Is Best?
There isn't one correct answer because there isn't one type of outdoor project.
If you're building furniture where appearance is every bit as important as durability, cedar is hard to beat.
If you're building something that will stand outside through rain, snow, wind, and years of hard use, pressure-treated lumber often offers the best balance of durability and value.
If you're building on a tight budget or creating something that will stay under cover, pine may be all you need.
The best builders don't choose one favourite wood.
They choose the right wood for the job.
Looking for a Project to Build?
Now that you have a better idea which wood is right for your project, you might be wondering what to build next.
From Adirondack chairs and picnic tables to roadside garbage boxes and parcel drop boxes, you'll find a growing collection of outdoor woodworking plans designed for builders who want practical projects that last.
Browse all Milltree Designs outdoor woodworking plans here.
Projects I've Built With Each Type of Wood
Comparing wood species on paper is helpful, but the real test comes when you actually start building.
Over the years, I've learned that there isn't one type of lumber that's perfect for every outdoor project. Every design has different priorities. Some need to be lightweight. Some need to withstand years of harsh weather. Others simply need to be affordable while still doing the job well.
Instead of asking, "Which wood is best?", I always ask a different question.
"Which wood is best for this project?"
That simple change in thinking has influenced every outdoor project I've designed.
When I Choose Cedar
Most of the time, I choose cedar for projects where appearance, comfort, and lighter weight are important.
Its natural resistance to rot and insects is certainly a benefit, but those aren't the only reasons I like using it. Cedar is stable, easy to machine, pleasant to work with, and considerably lighter than pressure-treated lumber.
Sometimes that lighter weight becomes one of the most important reasons for choosing it.
Adirondack Chairs
Many people assume cedar is automatically the best choice for every Adirondack chair.
Sometimes it is.
Sometimes it isn't.
One of the first Adirondack chairs I ever built was for a gentleman who wanted a comfortable chair to keep in his garage. Whenever he wanted to relax outside, he simply carried the chair into the yard. When he finished using it, he put it back inside.
Since the chair spent very little time exposed to the weather, there was no reason to pay for cedar's natural rot resistance.
Instead, I built it from pine.
It kept the project affordable, produced a lightweight chair that was easy to carry, and more than four years later he's still using that same chair.
That project reminded me that the best lumber isn't always the premium lumber.
It's the lumber that's best suited to how the project will actually be used.
Garden Benches
Garden benches become part of the landscape.
Whether they're sitting beneath a tree, overlooking a lake, or placed among flower beds, people notice them every time they walk by.
For projects like these, I usually choose cedar because it combines natural beauty with excellent outdoor durability.
It looks good when it's new, and it continues looking good for years with very little maintenance.
Rocking Chairs
Outdoor rocking chairs are built for comfort.
Because they're moved around decks and patios more often than many other pieces of furniture, I appreciate cedar's lighter weight.
It makes the finished chair easier to handle while still providing the durability needed for outdoor use.
Folding Picnic Tables
One of my favourite cedar projects is my folding picnic table.
I originally built two of them for a campground in Prince Edward Island, where they're still in daily public use today.
One of the biggest reasons I chose cedar wasn't simply because of its appearance.
It was because it's lightweight.
The tabletop and one of the benches lift and swing on bolts that act as hinges when converting the table. Cedar makes those moving sections much easier to lift and operate than heavier pressure-treated lumber would.
That decision had nothing to do with appearance.
It had everything to do with making the finished project easier and more enjoyable to use.
Sometimes that's exactly why one material is better than another.
When I Choose Pressure-Treated Lumber
Some outdoor projects aren't built to be admired.
They're built to solve problems.
When a project is expected to sit outside every day of the year through rain, snow, freezing temperatures, road salt, birds, animals, and constant use, durability becomes the priority.
That's where pressure-treated lumber excels.
Roadside Garbage Boxes
Both my Classic Roadside Garbage Box and my Hexagon Roadside Garbage Box are designed to solve exactly the same problem.
Keeping roadside garbage protected from weather, birds, dogs, raccoons, and other hungry animals until collection day.
Although the two designs look very different, they're both roadside garbage boxes that spend their lives outdoors in some of the harshest conditions around a home.
Rain.
Snow.
Road salt.
Freeze-and-thaw cycles.
Constant moisture.
For projects like these, I don't mind sacrificing a little appearance in exchange for long-term durability.
That's why I build both designs from pressure-treated lumber.
Parcel Drop Box
My parcel drop box is a good example of choosing materials based on how the project is built rather than assuming every outdoor project needs pressure-treated lumber.
The exterior is built primarily from plywood, while the inside is framed using either pressure-treated lumber or ordinary spruce. Since the framing is protected inside the box, there's little advantage to using pressure-treated lumber throughout the entire project.
For my own parcel drop box, I used standard exterior-grade plywood on the outside and protected it with a quality exterior paint.
Although the top is flat, I've found that a good paint finish provides excellent protection from the weather. My own box has now been outdoors through two Newfoundland winters and still hasn't needed repainting.
If someone prefers to use pressure-treated plywood, they certainly can, but I don't believe it's necessary for this project. A properly built box, protected with a good exterior paint, has proven to be both durable and economical in my own experience.
IBC Tote Stand
If there's one project where appearance takes a back seat, it's an IBC tote stand.
A full tote can weigh well over a tonne.
At that point, strength and long-term durability become far more important than appearance.
Pressure-treated lumber provides excellent structural performance while standing up to years of outdoor exposure.
For a project carrying that much weight, durability comes first.
Picnic Tables
For picnic tables that will remain outdoors year-round in parks, campgrounds, cottages, or rental properties, pressure-treated lumber is often an excellent choice.
It's durable, economical, readily available, and built to withstand years of heavy family use.
Where Pine Still Makes Sense
Pine often gets overlooked simply because it isn't naturally resistant to rot.
I think that's a mistake.
Like every other wood, pine has projects where it's the right choice.
If a project will spend most of its life indoors, under cover, or protected from the weather, pine can be an excellent building material.
It's affordable, lightweight, easy to machine, and available almost everywhere.
The Adirondack chair I mentioned earlier is a perfect example.
Four years later it's still being used exactly as intended because the material matched the project.
Sometimes spending more money simply isn't necessary.
The Lesson These Projects Have Taught Me
If there's one lesson I've learned after building these projects, it's this:
Don't choose the wood first.
Choose the project first.
Then ask yourself:
- Will it stay outside all year?
- Does it need to be lightweight?
- Is appearance important?
- Will it be exposed to constant moisture?
- Can a protective finish do the job?
Answer those questions honestly, and the right lumber usually becomes obvious.
Good builders don't have a favourite species of wood.
They choose the material that best fits the job.
Looking for Your Next Outdoor Project?
Now that you've seen how different woods suit different projects, why not put that knowledge to work?
Whether you're planning to build an Adirondack chair, picnic table, garden bench, roadside garbage box, parcel drop box, planter box, or another practical outdoor project, you'll find a growing collection of builder-focused woodworking plans at Milltree Designs.
Every plan is designed with the same philosophy you've just read about—choose the right design, use the right materials, and build something you'll be proud of for years.
👉 Browse all outdoor woodworking plans on the Milltree Designs website.
Builder Tips for Choosing Outdoor Lumber
After building many different outdoor projects over the years, there are a few things I've learned that aren't always obvious when you're standing in the lumber yard.
These tips have saved me time, money, and frustration on more than one project.
Don't Automatically Buy the Most Expensive Wood
Many people assume that if cedar costs more, it must always be the best choice.
That isn't necessarily true.
If you're building a roadside garbage box or an IBC tote stand, spending extra money on cedar may provide very little benefit over pressure-treated lumber.
On the other hand, if you're building an Adirondack chair or a garden bench that will become part of your outdoor living space, spending a little extra on cedar may be money well spent.
The best builders don't automatically buy premium materials.
They buy materials that make sense for the project.
Think About How the Finished Project Will Be Used
Before buying your lumber, ask yourself a few simple questions.
- Will this project stay outdoors all year?
- Will it be exposed to rain and snow every day?
- Will people move it around frequently?
- Is appearance one of the priorities?
- Will a quality exterior finish protect it well enough?
Those answers usually make the lumber choice much easier.
Weight Matters More Than You Think
Many builders focus on strength but forget about weight.
Sometimes a lighter project is simply more enjoyable to use.
My folding picnic table is a perfect example.
Because the tabletop and one bench pivot on bolts during the folding process, using cedar makes the table noticeably easier to lift and operate than heavier pressure-treated lumber.
The strongest lumber isn't always the best lumber.
Good Design Protects Wood
The way a project is designed can be just as important as the lumber you build it from.
A properly designed project sheds water, allows air circulation, and avoids trapping moisture wherever possible.
My parcel drop box demonstrates this well.
Although it's built primarily with ordinary exterior plywood and painted with a quality exterior paint, it has now been outside through two Newfoundland winters without needing repainting.
Good design and good finishing often do as much for longevity as choosing a more expensive species of wood.
Build for Your Climate
Where you live should also influence your material choices.
Someone building outdoor furniture in Arizona may have very different concerns than someone building in Newfoundland.
Here in Newfoundland, outdoor projects must survive heavy rain, snow, freezing temperatures, strong winds, and repeated freeze-thaw cycles.
That's one reason durability always plays such an important role in my own designs.
Think about your climate before choosing your lumber.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is cedar worth the extra cost?
If appearance, lighter weight, and low maintenance are important, I believe it often is.
For projects such as Adirondack chairs, garden benches, rocking chairs, and folding picnic tables, cedar offers excellent long-term value.
For many utility projects, pressure-treated lumber may be the better investment.
Can pressure-treated lumber be used for outdoor furniture?
Absolutely.
Modern pressure-treated lumber works very well for many outdoor furniture and utility projects.
Although it doesn't have cedar's appearance, it's durable, economical, and well suited to projects that remain outdoors year-round.
Is pine suitable for outdoor furniture?
It depends how the furniture will be used.
If it will remain outdoors continuously, cedar or pressure-treated lumber usually makes more sense.
If it's stored indoors or under cover between uses, pine can be an economical and perfectly practical choice.
Should I paint or stain outdoor furniture?
Both work well.
Paint provides excellent protection while allowing you to choose almost any colour.
Stain allows more of the wood grain to show while still protecting the surface.
Whichever finish you choose, regular maintenance will help any outdoor project last longer.
What lumber would you recommend for beginners?
I usually recommend choosing the lumber that best matches the project rather than trying to learn with one particular species.
Simple outdoor projects built from pine or pressure-treated lumber are excellent places to gain experience.
If appearance is important and your budget allows, cedar is a pleasure to build with.
My Final Thoughts
If you've read this far, you've probably realized there isn't one winner in the cedar versus pressure-treated versus pine debate.
Each has strengths.
Each has weaknesses.
Each has projects where it makes perfect sense.
After building outdoor projects for many years, I've found that successful builders don't ask,
"What's the best wood?"
Instead, they ask,
"What's the best wood for the project I'm building?"
That one question usually leads to the right decision.
Ready to Start Building?
Choosing the right lumber is only the first step.
The next step is choosing a project you'll enjoy building and using for years to come.
At Milltree Designs, you'll find builder-focused woodworking plans for practical outdoor projects including:
- Adirondack Chairs
- Rocking Chairs
- Garden Benches
- Folding Picnic Tables
- Family Picnic Tables
- Kids Picnic Tables
- Roadside Garbage Boxes
- Parcel Drop Boxes
- Planter Boxes
- IBC Tote Stands
- And more...
Whether you're looking for a weekend project or something that solves a real problem around your home or cottage, every plan is designed with durability, simplicity, and practical building in mind.
👉 Browse the complete collection of outdoor woodworking plans here.
Want to Learn More?
If you enjoyed this article, you may also find these builder-focused guides helpful.
- The Benefits of Building Your Own Outdoor Furniture
- Is It Cheaper to Build Your Own Outdoor Furniture?
- How to Protect Roadside Garbage from Wind, Birds, Hungry Animals, and Outdoor Disturbance
More Outdoor Woodworking Plans
Looking for your next build?
Browse plans for:
- Double Garden Bench
- Folding Picnic Table
- Garbage & Waste Storage
- Parcel Drop Box
- Hexagon Planter
- Porch Rocker
Every project is designed to solve a practical problem while giving you the satisfaction of building it yourself.
Prefer to purchase through Etsy? You can also browse the complete collection of Milltree Designs woodworking plans in my Etsy shop, where you'll find the same detailed PDF plans and instant digital downloads.